k_randomfactor

I have a friend that has expressed some interest in getting into biking. I've been keeping a weather eye out on CL for him, since he's even more clueless than I am, and having a riding partner would be great.

He's a Clyde (~275lbs), 6ft and not really athletic. With the info I've gleaned from BF, it seems to me that an old steel tourer may be a good idea, since he doesn't have a lot of desire to get offroad, and the heavy-duty construction would work well for his weight.

Is this Raleigh Kodiak worth the asking price? It seems a little high, but I haven't a clue as to vintage Raleigh pricing. The frame seems like it may fit, plus it's a cool old bike.

Any thoughts on it's suitability for a potential Clyde would be appreciated as well.

https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3569047057.html

The flip side is that if he does get it, and doesn't like it, it's a bike I'd be interested in taking off his hands in the future . Honestly, if the price were right, and I had the cheddar right now, I'd buy it myself, but the bike and financial gods aren't smiling on me at the moment.

Thabks folks.

know1

That's way too small for someone 6 ft.

An older steel road bike is a great idea though so keep looking for the right one.

FastJake

Good price, nice bike, good for a clyde, but way too small for someone 6'.

If nothing else, buy it for yourself if it fits you.

Michael Shaw

Yikes !!

That is a 53cm frame (approximately 21 inches from crank centre to top of seat tube) to suit a male or female rider from about 1.60m to 1.75m. (5'3" to 5'9"). Riding a frame that is too small for the rider - especially a non-athletic rider - can cause discomfort at the knees.

At $300 I would think that it is over-priced - by about 100%, perhaps more.

With your friends weight & height, he should pick up a good used all-terrain bike with suitable tires for road use, like an older Trek 830 or Miyata Elevation. Vintage steel road bikes do not have long seat posts but the all-terrain bikes tend to be more adjustable.

Mike

Bianchigirll 

I agree nice but too small. Also that bike has those funny Shimano shifter bosses with the round base, so upgrading the shifting means Barcons or Brifters and some quality time with a dremel modifying the DT housing stops.

Does he really want a road bike? this broken down old Bridgestone MTB might be a good starter.



https://knoxville.craigslist.org/bik/3572825378.html

k_randomfactor

Pass on that one then. Pity, since the price is right. Need to get that sizing dyslexia looked at tho.

BG, I saw that MB-2, and just eyeballin' it compared to the 830 I have in the living room, looks like it may be be just a tad small too. He and I are about the same height, and it looks looks a little smaller than the Trek. I'll pass it along tho, and see if he wants to go look at it.

wrk101, yeah, prices I've seen run higher than the Asheville, or even Chattanooga markets. Kinda sucks.

Thanks for the help, and education, folks.

wrk101

Kodiak was second in line for Raleigh touring bikes. So price is not bad.

Generally, a good, mid grade vintage rigid frame mtb might go for X; a good mid grade vintage racing bike will go for 2X; and a good mid grade vintage touring bike will bring 3 to 3.5X. My standard price for a vintage touring bike, mid grade, ready to ride is $400. I'll price some lower that have cosmetic challenges, or lack cantilever brakes. And ones towards the high end will bring more.

As someone who looks for deals all the time, its easiest to find deals on rigid frame mtbs. The MTB crowd wants nothing to do with them. Road bike people want nothing to do with them as well. That leaves the recreational rider. Finding deals on touring bikes is much, much harder. Many touring enthusiasts consider the vintage touring bikes to be close equals to the new stuff, at 1/3 the cost.

That Bridgestone is a nice MTB, priced on the high side.

The problem with finding a deal on a bike, is it is a lot of work, and most "deals" are on bikes that need work, often A LOT of work. I'm like a lot of posters on this list. I enjoy posting a find here and there. But the part we all seem to leave out is how hard we are looking (and the hours we spend looking where we find nothing). And depending on who does the work, a great deal can become a bad deal pretty quick.

k_randomfactor

Not doubting the sizing issue, I'm asking this for my own edification...

I just pulled out my ultra-precise, high-dollar, hardware store yardstick to compare measurements to the Backroads Mistaya branded Fuji tourer I just recently picked up. This bike fits me well and is comfortable to ride, in the process of dialing the fit, but overall is great. I'm 6ft with a 33" inseam. Yeah, in boots the TT and the boys get a too friendly. Gonna hafta watch popping forward off the saddle.

My Backroads/Fuji has a 23" (58-59cm) seat tube, 22" (56mm) BB to TT, and a 33" SO v. 22" (56mm) ST, 21" (53-54cm) BB to TT, and a 31.5" SO on this Raleigh. All measurements approximate since I, and likely this seller, used a yardstick or tape measure to, well, measure.

Does/can an inch (25mm) make that much of a difference in size/fit? Is it enough to completely disqualify a bike from consideration? Seems like it would make fiting the bike a little more PITA, but, to my admittedly novice brain, seems like it would be within allowable limits.

Again, just trying to get some education.

wrk101, using your pricing guidelines, that Backroads/Fuji wasn't too bad a deal. Scuffed paint, the brakes and FD needed just a slight tweak each (rear brake stopped but sqealed a little, and the FD shifted hard into the small ring), but pretty much ready-to-ride for $160 seems a decent price. I didn't mind paying it, and the bike rides like it was made for me.